Super Tuesday, a pivotal day in the U.S. presidential race, is set to play a crucial role in Donald Trump’s potential return to the White House. The day, which sees over a dozen states casting their votes, is the most significant event in the campaign calendar, second only to election day. In 2024, Super Tuesday falls on March 5, a day after Trump’s first federal criminal trial is expected to commence.

As incumbent President Joe Biden seeks re-election, the Democratic primary is largely a formality this year. However, the Republican primary is expected to be a fierce contest, with Trump aiming to outdo his party rivals and secure a second term.

The primary race is a state-by-state competition, with the objective being to secure a majority of pledged delegates who will then officially select the nominee at the party’s summer convention. In 2024, there are approximately 2,470 delegates, with around 2,365 pledged delegates and 104 unpledged delegates. To secure the nomination, a candidate must receive support from a majority of delegates, estimated at 1,236.

The term “Super Tuesday” originated in the 1980s when several southern states advanced their primaries and caucuses to increase their influence in the race. This year, two of the largest states, California and Texas, will cast their votes on Super Tuesday.

The results of Super Tuesday are typically known by the early hours of Wednesday morning, although some states, like California, may take longer to announce their results.

In 2016, Trump secured the nomination by late May in an open Republican primary. As the incumbent in 2020, he faced no serious challenge and became the presumptive nominee by mid-March.

Trump’s team has been working diligently to maximize his frontrunner status by encouraging state officials to make delegate allocation rules as favorable to him as possible. Changes to the process in Nevada and particularly California, which has the most delegates of any state, are expected to significantly boost his chances.

Read more at The Telegraph.